Declining since 2001, #107 for girls today.
Popularity of Anna since 1880
Babies named Anna per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Anna's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 38,159 |
| 1890s | 55,261 |
| 1900s | 54,918 |
| 1910s | 118,998 |
| 1920s | 123,895 |
| 1930s | 66,598 |
| 1940s | 41,282 |
| 1950s | 41,701 |
| 1960s | 40,935 |
| 1970s | 37,813 |
| 1980s | 57,327 |
| 1990s | 78,595 |
| 2000s | 90,325 |
| 2010s | 51,326 |
| 2020s | 17,726 |
Meaning & origin
Anna is a classic feminine name with deep roots in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek traditions. It has been consistently popular in the United States, peaking in 1885 and maintaining a ranking of 107th in 2025, with about 1 in 638 girls receiving the name. After a period of resurgence in the late 20th century, its usage has been falling since 2001. The name is especially popular in Alaska, the District of Columbia, and New Hampshire. Anna's enduring appeal lies in its simplicity and international versatility, recognized in dozens of languages.
Anna is the Latin form of the Greek name Ἄννα (Anna), which in turn derives from the Hebrew name חַנָּה (Channah), meaning 'grace' or 'favor'. It appears in the New Testament as the name of a prophetess who recognized Jesus as the Messiah. The name has been widely used throughout Christian Europe since the Middle Ages, borne by numerous saints and royalty, and remains perennially popular in many cultures.
Where Anna is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Anna” around the world
Where Anna lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
#10
in 2024
Ireland
#26
in 2025
New Zealand
#88
in 2025
Quebec
#44
in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ann, Annie, Ani, Nan, Nancy, Nina, Anya, Anka
Variants: Ann, Anne, Ana, Hannah, Anya, Anika, Anouk, Anneli, Annette
Sibling names for Anna
Names that share Anna's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Emily, Julia, Sarah, Laura, Clara, Abby, Clare, Elisabeth, Grace, Jo, Lea, Lena, Marcella, Maria, Olga, Catharine, Elsa, Heidy, Jonna, Juli, Liz, Marry, Maryjane, Meta, Monika, Sarabeth, Sofie, Cate, Elisabet, Elizabet, Elza, Juliane, Kasia, Katharina, Katheryne, Kati, Marya, Maryalice, Minna, Oda, Rebecka, Theresia, Thresa, Amma, Annia, Clarie, Dimitra, Else, Enna, Floris, Fotini, Gaetana, Giuseppina, Inna, Ioanna, Josefine, Josepha, Judit, Katalin, Katarzyna, Kathe, Marialuisa, Olena, Panagiota, Salley, Stavroula, Susi, Agnieszka, Benna, Ekaterini, Eliska, Kathrin, Mariateresa, Maryclare, Monia, Patrycja, Teresia, Thresia, Hanne, Cecylia, Eliz, Ewa, Ewelina, Guida, Irena, Kateryn, Kitti, Margareta, Margarete, Margaretha, Therisa, Timea
Brothers: Benjamin, Daniel, Samuel, William, Thomas, Carl, David, Jan, Johnie, Joseph, Kris, Luke, Simon, Stefan, Eduard, Fritz, Giuseppe, Johann, Jordi, Josef, Jozef, Lukas, Markus, Nate, Zebedee, Castiel, Christos, Clemens, Hendrik, Jakub, Jhon, Joeseph, Johney, Karel, Konstantinos, Krystian, Ludwig, Luigi, Marek, Mikhail, Miquel, Panagiotis, Willaim, Willem, Wm, Aleks, Aloys, Andrzej, Anthon, Carles, Carlson, Christoph, Domnick, Evangelos, Fredrich, Gaspare, Georg, Georgi, Georgios, Hansford, Joachim, Joh, Jonn, Josua, Kristoff, Krzysztof, Lehman, Loukas, Lukasz, Maksym, Maksymilian, Mateusz, Michail, Nicolaas, Patrik, Pawel, Petros, Philipp, Pieter, Piotr, Pleas, Sabas, Sandor, Sergey, Stanislaus, Tadeusz, Timm, Yiannis, Andreu, Bence, Casmer, Dawid, Flem, Harm, Imre, Johannes, Josph, Kostas, Kristof, Levis, Maciej, Marcin, Mattheus, Miklos, Oleg, Ricke, Samuele, Sem, Tibor, Tomasz, Vicent, Arnol, Danil, Dariusz, Deniel, Emiel, Franciszek, Gabor, Jonh, Josep, Jozsef, Marios, Matyas, Nickolaos, Ondra, Pantelis, Petr, Petro, Ricard, Sante, Sergei, Steaven, Thomos, Thos, Wladyslaw, Zolton
Names like Anna
Names whose popularity has moved with Anna's over the last 50 years.
